>> Start Creating Your Driving Log Today!<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\nAs per the IRS, a mileage log can either be a \u201cwritten statement with some particular information\u201d or \u201csufficient supporting evidence\u201d about the same. So, while using ExpressMileage, you might estimate driving distances and ensure it matches with whatever evidence is at your disposal:\u00a0 oil changes, smog tests, vehicle maintenance records..etc.<\/p>\n
The IRS does help with a few examples on a post-facto mileage log because they know that forgetting to track mileage isn\u2019t new.<\/p>\n
A simple guideline to help you recover your lost miles log<\/h2>\n1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Start with the mileage logs you have<\/h3>\n
Uber, Lyft and other companies do track the on-the-job\u00a0mileage, including the mileage covered when you\u2019ve got a passenger. However, they don\u2019t track the distance covered when you\u2019re on your way to pick the customers or after dropping them off. Your on-trip mileage becomes the minimum that you can deduct.\u00a0 Make sure\u00a0your log\u00a0at least meets the number of miles\/KM reported in your Uber\/Lyft driving summaries.<\/p>\n
2.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Calculate your total mileage<\/h3>\n
To claim your\u00a0driving deduction on the Schedule C, it is mandatory that you input the total miles you covered during the year, whether personal and\/or commuting. Your odometer readings at the start of the year and the end, as well as your old receipts, will serve as the best place to start your calculations.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/h3>\n3.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Use the documents of your other business miles<\/h3>\n
If you had misplaced the miles for the miles between trips, when driving from home to where you had your first customer or your last trip back home, then you might feel like you\u2019re finished. Since you will need the official evidence about them, below are some of the options you might have to exhaust.<\/p>\n
\n- You\u2019ll need to find out the lost mileage for the commute \u2013 to and from home. It is often a tedious process, but you\u2019ll have to do it.<\/li>\n
- You\u2019ll also have to calculate the lost mileage between passengers \u2013 the distance between where one trip ended and where the next one started.<\/li>\n
- Finally, be sure to double-check your estimates, primarily using maintenance receipts and trip logs.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
4.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Use your driving patterns<\/h3>\n
If all the calculations are lengthy, tedious or just complex to figure out, do use your normal distance you cover in a week or month as an estimate. Again, you\u2019ll need to have a credible proof that the estimates are real and realistic.<\/p>\n
Disclaimer: this guideline only applies to those who misplaced their driving mileage logs. It should not be used to recreate the whole mileage log.<\/p>\n\n\n